Comparison 5. Glucocorticosteroid avoidance or withdrawal versus glucocorticosteroid‐containing immunosuppression (co‐interventions subgroups).

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Mortality	15	1323	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.93, 1.44]
1.1 Monotherapy	5	452	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.29 [0.90, 1.83]
1.2 Dual therapy	6	605	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.98 [0.68, 1.42]
1.3 Triple therapy	4	266	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.23 [0.79, 1.90]
2 Graft loss including death	11	1002	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.90, 1.46]
2.1 Monotherapy	4	376	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.04 [0.73, 1.48]
2.2 Dual therapy	4	447	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.69, 1.93]
2.3 Triple therapy	3	179	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.35 [0.86, 2.11]
3 Acute rejection	16	1347	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.33 [1.08, 1.64]
3.1 Monotherapy	5	452	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.14 [0.81, 1.59]
3.2 Dual therapy	7	629	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.44 [1.07, 1.95]
3.3 Triple therapy	4	266	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.56 [0.84, 2.88]
4 Infection	8	778	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.73, 1.05]
4.1 Dual therapy	5	551	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.87 [0.70, 1.09]
4.2 Triple therapy	3	227	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.65, 1.20]
5 Chronic rejection	9	974	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.56, 2.10]
5.1 Monotherapy	3	329	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.86 [0.60, 5.78]
5.2 Dual therapy	5	545	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.06 [0.41, 2.76]
5.3 Triple therapy	1	100	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.25 [0.03, 2.16]
6 Glucocorticosteroid‐resistant rejection	10	1020	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.14 [1.13, 4.02]
6.1 Monotherapy	4	376	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.46 [1.01, 5.97]
6.2 Dual therapy	3	417	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.83 [0.74, 4.55]
6.3 Triple therapy	3	227	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
7 Diabetes mellitus	12	1185	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.66, 0.99]
7.1 Monotherapy	5	452	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.95 [0.70, 1.28]
7.2 Dual therapy	4	506	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.61 [0.41, 0.89]
7.3 Triple therapy	3	227	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.89 [0.61, 1.31]
8 CMV infection	7	786	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.48, 1.16]
8.1 Monotherapy	3	329	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.79 [0.46, 1.38]
8.2 Dual therapy	3	417	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.68 [0.33, 1.40]
8.3 Triple therapy	1	40	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
9 HCV recurrence	10	477	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.92, 1.15]
9.1 Monotherapy	3	118	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.07 [0.91, 1.25]
9.2 Dual therapy	5	283	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.07 [0.92, 1.23]
9.3 Triple therapy	2	76	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.82 [0.55, 1.22]
10 Malignancy	3	528	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.52 [0.16, 1.74]
10.1 Monotherapy	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.0 [0.24, 102.49]
10.2 Dual therapy	2	372	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.21 [0.04, 1.22]
11 Post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder	2	330	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.39 [0.36, 15.95]
11.1 Monotherapy	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.0 [0.19, 21.61]
11.2 Dual therapy	1	174	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	3.21 [0.13, 77.77]
12 Renal insufficiency	4	447	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.93 [0.73, 1.19]
12.1 Monotherapy	2	219	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.68, 1.56]
12.2 Dual therapy	2	228	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.89 [0.66, 1.20]
13 Creatinine	4	309	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.11 [0.07, 0.16]
13.1 Monotherapy	1	110	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.12 [‐0.47, 0.23]
13.2 Dual therapy	2	99	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.08 [‐0.15, ‐0.01]
13.3 Triple therapy	1	100	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.25 [0.19, 0.31]
14 Hypertension	10	1098	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.76 [0.65, 0.90]
14.1 Monotherapy	4	405	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.79 [0.57, 1.10]
14.2 Dual therapy	4	506	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.71 [0.57, 0.88]
14.3 Triple therapy	2	187	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.91 [0.63, 1.32]
15 Hyperlipidaemia	4	400	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.75 [0.38, 1.48]
15.1 Monotherapy	2	139	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.02 [0.38, 2.72]
15.2 Dual therapy	1	174	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.36 [0.07, 1.72]
15.3 Triple therapy	1	87	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.82 [0.24, 2.85]
16 Cholesterol	6	611	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐18.49 [‐22.02, ‐14.96]
16.1 Monotherapy	1	110	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	35.0 [12.31, 57.69]
16.2 Dual therapy	4	401	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐26.94 [‐38.10, ‐15.79]
16.3 Triple therapy	1	100	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐19.0 [‐22.77, ‐15.23]